Cable-way for railway traction-cables



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. L. JOHNSON. CABLE WAY FOR RAILWAY TRACTION GABLES.

Patented Jain. 6,'1885.

u, PETERS "Mo-W wasm o a (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

T. L. JOHNSON.

CABLE WAY FOR RAILWAY TRACTION GABLES.

Patented Jan. 6, 1885.

Fig [i Wfi/MEEE. 9mm? E2 I/EHZUZ? M PhMn-Lilhogmpher. wan-mm. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TOM L. JOHNSON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CABLE-WAY FOR RAILWAY TRACTION-CABLES.

EPECQPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,284, dated January 6, 1885.

Application filed July 22, 188-1.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, TOM L. JOHNSON, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga' and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Oabl e-IVay for Railway Traction-Cables, which invention or improvement is fully set forth and illustrated in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a permanent way for cable railways of small area of cross-section, of very strong and durable construction, and of as little obstruction as possible to street travel or traffic. The means of attaining these ends and the advantages thereby seeured are hereinafter described and explained.

The novel features of which the invention consists are specifically set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of two of the slot-rails forming one side of the cable-way, showing plate-connection at joint of rails, and a transverse section of a metal cross-tie below said joint, upon which the said rails are secured. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the lower portions of two slot-rails forming opposite sides of the cable-way, and a similar section through a plate forming a bottom for said cable-way. Fig. 3 is a general view showing a cross-tie in longitudinal elevation, with the slot-rails, forming the cable-way, in transverse section, secured to said crosstie, and also a transverse section of one rail of the car-track secured to said cross-tie, said rail and cable-way being tied together by a brace or rod running transversely thereto. Fig. 4c shows, partly in section, a method of securing the slot-rails forming the cable-way to a lower chair and wooden cross-tie, said chair taking the place of the metal cross-tie shown in preceding figures, and being spiked to the wooden cross-tie illustrated in said figure. Fig. 5 shows the slotrails in transverse section, rolled to the same bevel or angle shown in preceding figures, but devoid of lower flanges, and the method of securing said rails to the metal cross-tie. Fig. 6 shows the slot-rails in transverse section, and provided with square legs or feet. Fig. 7 shows the slot-rails in similar section, provided with double-beveled legs or feet.

No model.)

In said figures, now to be more particularly described, the several parts are respectively designated by letters as follows:

In the several figures, the letters A A indicate two slot-rails, forming the sides of the cable-way. B indicates a metal cross-tie; C, the bottom proper of the cableway, composed of a series of plates or of composition, completely filling the spaces between and covering said cross-ties up to aline above the same, except at certain points, at which points metal chocks Fare introduced and either riveted or bolted to the cross-ties, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7. In Fig. 1 said chock is shown at the joint of the two slot-rails A A, at which joint the rivet-holes or bolt'holes in the fish-plate a are slotted, as shown at b in dotted lines, to provide for expansion and contraction in the surrounding metal parts.

In Fig. 2 a plate, 0, is illustrated in transverse section, showing the slot-rails A A resting upon its exterior rabbets, c 0, and its interior surfaced, projecting up within the cableway sufficiently to cover the level of the crossties flush with the upper surfaces of the ehocks F, resting upon said ties. The plate C may be made of any suitable material, and if partially elastic, as iron, or even earthenware, the tamping of the surrounding road-bed will bring them to a fairly even bearing along their length, and their shape is such, as shown in Fig.2, that no pressure can force them upward against the resistance of the side rails upon their rabbet's c 0. The chocks F and plates 0 thus forming a continuous bottom surface for the cable-way, flush and smooth, the whole interior of said cable-way presents a clean contour, devoid of any obstructions or receptacles for the collection and accumulation of dirt. The plates 0 are prevented from any end movement by their joints tightly abutting the cheeks F.

In Fig. 3 is illustrated the general construction of the cable railway as the same would appear beneath the surface of the road-bed, with one side of the car-track omitted, and the slot-rails and one car-rail in transverse section. In said figure the letter D indicates a girder car-rail, secured in a chair, E, bolted, as shown in said figure, to the metal cross-tie iii I). Said chair may be riveted instead of bolted to the crosstie B, if preferred, or, of course, may be spiked to a wooden crosstie, if desired. The slot-rails A A, hereinbefore described, are secured to the cross-tie B by the foot-braces G, overlapping their lower flanges, and the feet of said rails are firmly spread and held under said braces by the checks F. The braces G- are bolt-ed, as shown in said figure, to the cross-ties B, but may be riveted thereto, if preferred. The braces O, which may be rods secured by screw-threads and nuts at their extremities, are preferably made of flat metal bars placed on edge,-as shown, and riveted through flanges on their ends to the webs of the rails D of the track, and to the slot-rails A A by rivets 'r on each side of the cable-way. Said braces can thus be readily worked in between the paving sets or street-paving of whatever construction, and

be attached, as shown, very near the head of the slot-rails A A. Such points of attachment it is very desirable to secure in order to most effectually keep said rails in place. Said braces C, it will be further observed, act effectively, both in tension and compression. They should preferably be placed every three feet apart and the cross-tics I3 every six or eight feet apart.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated the same cable-way, with the slot-rails A A in transverse section, but secured to a east-metal chair, L, adapted to support said rails on a wooden cross-tie, M, to which said chair is spiked by the spikes Z Z. The chair L is thus practically substituted for the metal cross-tie I3 shown in preceding figures. It also, by its chock Z projecting into the cable-way, fulfills the office of the chock F shown in the other figures. The foot-braces G, abutting the lugs Z" on the chair IJ, perform the same office as that described for them in preceding figures.

In Fig. 5 the slot-rails A A are shown in transverse section devoid of lower angles, the angle-braces H and the chock F securely fastening said railsby means of rivets to the crosstie B.

In Fig. 6 the slot-rails A A are shown in transverse section, with small lower flanges and foot-braces J, and chock F, modified to fitthe shape of said flanges.

In Fig. 7 the slot-rails A A are shown in transverse section, with double-beveled feet and foot-braces K, and chock F, modified to fit the shape of said feet. Said chock and braces are shown in said figure bolted to the cross tie B by bolts f, instead of by rivets,as shown at f in the other figures; but rivets may be sub stituted for the bolts 1, if preferred.

Among the advantages of the constructions above described, compared generally with cable-railway tunnels as ordinarily constructed, may be stated the following: In ordinary practice on cable railways a grip of comparativel y large sizeis used,which grip of necessity must travel in the same passage-way provided for the cable. This fact has necessitated large passage-ways generally, and very properly termed tunnels. In another application for Letters Patent made by me, filed on the 29th day of April, 1884, and now pending, bearing the Serial No. 129,701, I have described a new method of cable construction, wherein the connection between the car and cable is effected by means of a notched rotary disk or wheel instead of by a grip. So little of the said disk enters through the slot in the cable passage-way that its presence need not be considered in the construction of said way, whereas when the large grip is used the size of the passage-way must be determined by that of such large grip; hence said way is in prac tice so largethat it is properly described as a tunnel. By dispensing with the grip,therefore, the passage-way can be constructed solely with a view to the proper passage of the cable, and in such practice said way becomes so much smaller that it in no sense can be appropriately called a tunnel either in appearance or name. it is most appropriately termed a cable-way" instead of a tunnel, and is so designated in my said application.

The cableway herein described and claimed is'of smooth interior surface, of small trans verse area, and composed only of two side rails and a bottom, its bot-tom being made of cement, concrete, or of any solid and compact material, or of plates, if preferred, of any suit able material, but preferably of the earthcnware of which sewer-pipes are made.

In the construction of ordinary tunnels of cable railways, yokes are used to tie the system together, the track included, every four or live feet apart. The tunnel is then built of brick, concrete, or iron plates about or around said yokes (which form askelcton frame therefor) throughout its whole length, the inner surfaces of said yokes generally being flush or coinciding with the interior surface of the tunnel. Said yokes are sometimes made of cast-iron and sometimes of wroughtiron, and whenever used the shape of the sl otrails above the tunnel is largely determined by its connection to said yokes, for which connection it requires a flange to be rolled on its lower surface. This flange acts at the same time as a projection to receive the covering-plates often used in'tunnel construction, and also as a flange to which the ends of the iron plates may be riveted, if such are used in building the walls of the tunnel. The use of this lower flange is attended with material difficulties and disad vantages.

First. The difficulty of rolling or slurping said flange is an element of great cost.

Second. \Vhen this flange is used as the means of connection to the rest of the system, it must be drilled at such places as the yokes or ties are set. This necessitates the use of a slot-rail of uniform length drilled to a uniform gage or distance of holes apart, or, as an alternative, theplacing of thcyokes at odd distances lCO apart when the slot-rails are not of uniform length, which in effect requires the yokes, as they cannot be farther apart than the standard distance, to be put closer together than such standard distance; hence additional cost in this item, for the yokes should be placed under the joints of the slot-rails when the lower flanges of said rails are depended upon for connection with the rest of the system.

Third. The greater nicety of construction required necessitates additional cost.

Fourth. IVhere connection with the yoke by means of lower flanges on the slot-rails is depended upon, great waste of materialin construction must ensue, for the yoke serving the double purpose of supporting the track and the slot-rails also, the track, if a stringer-track, does not need the yokes to be closer together than four feet, and with a girder-rail track the yokes need be not closer than seven or eight feet, whereas the slot=rails should be supported laterallyatless distances than these mentioned, for said rails should be held in place to great uicety. A variation of one-fourth or even onehalf inch,which would not seriously affect the rails of the track,would be fatal to the use of the slotrails, which are but from three-fourths of an inch to one inch apart in the slot, and in practice great difficulty has been found in maintaining said rails in accurate line of ad justment hence it is a mistake to depend upon the yokes and lower flanges on the slotrails as means of supporting the slot-rails in place laterally, when the track-rails only need said yokcs at distances apart much greater than are absolutely required by the slot-rails to preserve their necessary alignment.

All the above-mentioned difficulties and disadvantages of construction are obviated by my invention hereinbefore described, as will appear by the following summary of the advantages flowing from the constructions constituting said invention: First,the lower flanges of the slotrails are dispensed with, lightening the whole structure, both yokes and the tunnel proper being entirely dispensed with also; second, the slot-rails, being fished by side plates at their ends or joints, may be made of any lengths, and, no uniformity in length being required, no drilling at uniform-distances for connection to any yokes is required; third, increased speed and economy in laying the plant or system, particularly when the closing of the cable-way by bottom plates is considered; fourtlnthe interior of the cable-way presents a smooth contour clear of obstructions, for the collection and accumulation of, dirt,

rendering it an easy matter to dispose of any possibility'and even great danger of causing horses to slip and fall in passing over such rails, as frequently happens upon slot-rails as ordinarilylaid in cable-ways nowin practical operation.

I am aware that a beveled rail per 86 is not new, nor in combination with a cable-railway tunnel, and such I do not claim; but,

Having thus fully described my said cable way and its mode of construction, as of my invention I claim 1. In a cable-railway system, a cable-way composed of bevel -rolled slot rails on each side, with or without lower angles or feet,and provided with a bottom at the base of said rails, sul'istantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a cablerailway system, aslotted cableway composed of rails on each side, buttjointed or fished by outside plates or bars, as a, and secured by inside choeks, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a cable-railway system, in combination with the rails of the track, a slotted cable-way tied on each side directly to said rails by rods or braces, as O, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a cable-railway system, in combination with a cable-way composed of slot-rails, as A A, the inside choeks, outside foot or angle braces, and cross-ties for supporting said cableway, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

5. In a cable-railway systen1,in combination with the rails of the track, a slotted cable-way composed of slot-rails, as A A, rods or braces, as 0, inside choeks, outside foot-braces, and cross-ties for supporting said cable-ways, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

TOM I1. JOHNSON. 

